The Socialist 28 September 2011

Mass strikes can kick out Con-Dems

Mass strikes can kick out Con-Dems

Marching for a future

Join the Jarrow marchers on their 330 mile journey!

Why are you marching?

Why are you supporting the march?

Jarrow march - council puts high price on right to protest

World economy in meltdown - we won't pay for capitalist crisis

Pro-business Labour offers crumbs and promises cuts

1911 - Bermondsey women's uprising

£6,000 uni fees? An offer we can refuse!

Fight fees and cuts - join Socialist Students!

Youth demand a future in Tottenham

What I spent my EMA on

As Murdochgate scandal goes on - release Tommy Sheridan!

Scotland: SNP do the Con-Dems' dirty work

Dale Farm - call off the evictions of residents

Metal thefts - The hidden crime of capitalism

Socialism 2011: A weekend of discussion and debate

News in brief

As debt crisis deepens... Greek workers and youth in revolt

Construction workers strike to defend agreements

Greenwich Unite takes fight to cuts councillors

Workplace news in brief

PFI schemes - a national scandal

Salford says: Save Lancaster House!

Stop coastguard cuts!

Stroud demo against private sharks killing the NHS

Film review: Tinker tailor soldier spy

My impressions of the Work Programme

More whacko ideas from Tories

Standing up for our pension rights

PDFs for this issue




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Standing up for our pension rights

The Gloucestershire Echo recently ran a feature on the pros and cons of going on strike to defend pensions, Socialist Party member Rob Bishop put the position for the strikes, against the arguments of a local Tory MP.

These are extracts from his article:

"I fully support the strike. The workers are defending their terms and conditions and the government isn't seriously negotiating. They've had the unions around the table, then made an unrealistic offer that was always going to be unacceptable to the unions.

What can you do when your pensions are being raided and you're losing something that you've worked long and hard for? Just like anybody would, they're standing up to defend their rights.

We are running a huge budget deficit because the last Labour government bailed out the banks. The government is trying to make ordinary working people pay for a crisis not of their making. It was nothing to do with the public sector workers and they shouldn't be the ones who are expected to solve the problem. Many of the people whose pensions are at risk are not well paid at all, which makes it doubly unfair.

I suggest they increase the tax take by hunting down all the millionaires who take their profits abroad to avoid tax, because that would be much fairer.

That would go partly to make up the shortfall because there's something like £120 billion which goes uncollected - and that's a huge amount.

Many of the leaders of the unions involved are not known for their militant tendencies, but their members are forcing them into it because they know they have to fight for what they are due.

I was at the National Shop Stewards Network meeting in London recently and it was clear the mood is militant - justifiably so.

The union members know that their futures are at risk and that's why they are doing this. I only hope that the TUC turns out to be as militant as its members."

In this issue

Building for 30 November strike

Mass strikes can kick out Con-Dems